Photovoltaic module capable of outputting AC voltage without converting level of DC voltage

• US 10,560,052 B2
• Filed: 09/07/2017
• Issued: 02/11/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 09/08/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Shangrao Xinyuan Yuedong Technology Development Company Limited
• Original Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Inventors: Ham, Myungsoo, Kim, Myonghwan, Lee, Sangin
• Primary Examiner(s): Behm, Harry R
• Application Number:
  US15/698,369
• Publication Number:
  US 20180069504A1
• Time in Patent Office: 887 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G05F 1/67 to the maximum power available from a generator, e.g. from solar cell
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 31/044 including bypass diodes bypass diodes in the junction box H02S40/34
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 31/0504 specially adapted for series or parallel connection of solar cells in a module
• CPC Class Codes: H02S 40/32 comprising DC/AC inverter means associated with the PV module itself, e.g. AC modules
• CPC Class Codes: H02S 40/34 comprising specially adapted electrical connection means to be structurally associated with the PV module, e.g. junction boxes
• CPC Class Codes: H02S 40/38 Energy storage means, e.g. batteries, structurally associated with PV modules
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 10/50 Photovoltaic [PV] energy
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 10/56 Power conversion systems, e.g. maximum power point trackers
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 70/30 Systems combining energy storage with energy generation of non-fossil origin

Abstract

Disclosed is a photovoltaic module. The photovoltaic module includes a solar cell module including a plurality of solar cells, and an inverter unit to receive a direct current (DC) voltage from the solar cell module and convert the DC voltage received from the solar cell module into an alternating current (AC) voltage without converting a level of the DC voltage received from the solar cell module.

Claims

1. A photovoltaic module, comprising:

a solar cell module including a plurality of solar cells;

a capacitor unit to receive a direct current (DC) voltage from the solar cell module and to store the DC voltage output from the solar cell module;

an inverter unit to convert the DC voltage stored in the capacitor unit into an alternating current (AC) voltage without converting a level of the DC voltage received from the solar cell module;

a controller to control the inverter unit;

an input current detector to detect an input current flowing into the capacitor unit; and

an input voltage detector to detect an input voltage of both terminals of the capacitor unit,

wherein the solar cell module outputs the DC voltage having a level higher than a peak value of a grid voltage,

wherein the controller calculates a maximum power for the solar cell module and controls the inverter unit to output the AC voltage using a DC voltage corresponding to the maximum power, and

wherein the plurality of solar cells include multi-cutting cells, respectively.

2. The photovoltaic module according to claim 1, wherein the controller controls the inverter unit to output the AC voltage when the level of the DC voltage received from the solar cell module is greater than a peak value of a grid voltage.

3. The photovoltaic module according to claim 1, wherein the inverter unit includes:

a first upper arm switching element and a first lower arm switching element connected in series; and

a second upper arm switching element and a second lower arm switching element connected in series, the second upper arm switching element and the second lower arm switching element being connected in parallel to the first upper arm switching element and the second lower arm switching element, and

wherein a switching frequency of the first and second upper arm switching elements and a switching frequency of the first and second lower arm switching elements are greater than a frequency of a grid.

4. The photovoltaic module according to claim 1, wherein the solar cell module further includes a first conductive line connected to a first solar cell among the plurality of solar cells and a second conductive line connected to a second solar cell among the plurality of solar cells, and

the first conductive line and the second conductive line are connected to an inverter unit disposed on a back surface of the solar cell module.

5. The photovoltaic module according to claim 1, further comprising:

a junction box disposed on a back surface of the solar cell module and to include the capacitor unit and the inverter unit.

6. The photovoltaic module according to claim 1, wherein the solar cell module further includes a first conductive line connected to a first solar cell among the plurality of solar cells and a second conductive line connected to a second solar cell among the plurality of solar cells, and

wherein the first conductive line and the second conductive line are connected to the capacitor unit disposed on a back surface of the solar cell module.

7. The photovoltaic module according to claim 6, wherein, when a part of the plurality of solar cells is shaded, the controller controls the inverter unit to supply the second current having a level lower than the first current which has been supplied prior to occurrence of a shaded region, without bypassing at least one of the first conductive line and the second conductive line.

8. The photovoltaic module according to claim 7,

wherein the controller determines whether a part of the plurality of solar cells is shaded, based on the input current detected by the input current detector or the input voltage detected by the input voltage detector and, when the shaded region occurs, controls the inverter unit to supply a second current having a level lower than the first current which has been supplied prior to occurrence of the shaded region.

9. The photovoltaic module according to claim 7, further comprising

an input voltage detector to detect an input voltage of both terminals of the capacitor unit,

wherein the controller controls the inverter unit to supply the second current having a level lower than the first current when a voltage variation rate of the input voltage detected by the input voltage detector is greater than a predetermined value.

10. The photovoltaic module according to claim 6, further comprising:

a bypass diode unit to bypass the DC voltage output from the solar cell module,

wherein the capacitor unit stores a DC voltage from the bypass diode unit.

11. The photovoltaic module according to claim 10, wherein the solar cell module further includes a first conductive line connected to a first solar cell among the plurality of solar cells and a second conductive line connected to a second solar cell among the plurality of solar cells, and

wherein the first conductive line and the second conductive line are connected to the bypass diode unit disposed on a back surface of the solar cell module.

12. The photovoltaic module according to claim 10, further comprising:

a junction box disposed on the back surface of the solar cell module and to include the bypass diode unit, the capacitor unit, and the inverter unit.

13. The photovoltaic module according to claim 10, further comprising:

a junction box disposed on the back surface of the solar cell module and to include the capacitor unit and the inverter unit; and

a second junction box disposed on the back surface of the solar cell module, separated from the junction box, and to include the bypass diode unit.

14. A photovoltaic module, comprising:

a solar cell module including a plurality of solar cells;

an inverter unit to receive a direct current (DC) voltage from the solar cell module and convert the DC voltage received from the solar cell module into an alternating current (AC) voltage without converting a level of the DC voltage received from the solar cell module; and

a capacitor unit to store the DC voltage output from the solar cell module,

wherein the inverter unit converts the DC voltage stored in the capacitor unit into the AC voltage,

wherein the solar cell module further includes a first conductive line connected to a first solar cell among the plurality of solar cells and a second conductive line connected to a second solar cell among the plurality of solar cells,

wherein the first conductive line and the second conductive line are connected to the capacitor unit disposed on a back surface of the solar cell module,

wherein the photovoltaic module further includes a controller to control the inverter unit,

wherein, when a part of the plurality of solar cells is shaded, the controller controls the inverter unit to supply a second current having a level lower than a first current which has been supplied prior to occurrence of a shaded region, without bypassing at least one of the first conductive line and the second conductive line,

wherein the photovoltaic module further includes an input current detector to detect an input current flowing into the capacitor unit,

wherein the photovoltaic module further includes an input voltage detector to detect an input voltage of both terminals of the capacitor unit, and

wherein the controller determines whether a part of the plurality of solar cells is shaded, based on the input current detected by the input current detector or the input voltage detected by the input voltage detector and, when the shaded region occurs, controls the inverter unit to supply a second current having a level lower than the first current which has been supplied prior to occurrence of the shaded region.